With his team having an extra day this week to prepare for their Monday night contest against the Broncos, Turner pushed the work week back a day. While they usually practice for two hours on Wednesday, the Chargers participated in an hour-long walkthrough and were dismissed after lunch.

“The schedule allows us to get rested, to continue to get healthy and then spend a little extra time in preparation for Denver,” Turner said. “We got a walkthrough and got some good meeting time. Then tomorrow we’ll start our regular week.”

The Chargers usually have a short practice Friday morning and a walkthrough Saturday morning. This week, they’ll have a full practice Friday afternoon and a ninety-minute practice Saturday.

The players liked the way Turner adjusted the schedule and broke up the routine.

“Toward the end of the season, you always get a little tired from playing week to week,” LaDainian Tomlinson said. “For us just to get an extra day of rest, I think that’s going to help us as we move forward.”

After enjoying a day off for “Victory Monday” and their regular Tuesday off, the players were back to football Wednesday. Quarterback Philip Rivers liked the approach his teammates took to resting their bodies while beginning to focus on Denver.

“Obviously you don’t want to shut football down for a couple days,” Rivers said. “But like today with the walkthrough and meetings, you get a lot of mental work, but you don’t have to physically do it. We’ll come back tomorrow and treat it like a regular Wednesday and a regular week the rest of the week. It’ll be good.”

Healing up

Rivers said that his sprained left knee felt much better Wednesday than it did when he missed practice last Wednesday

“It’s pretty good,” Rivers said. “These couple of days off have really helped. Having the extra day before we play, it shouldn’t be a problem this week.”

Last week, Rivers split snaps with backup Billy Volek throughout the week. The Bolts’ starting signal caller may take a few more reps in practice this week but doesn’t expect to take them all.

“I’ll probably ease back into it a little bit,” Rivers said. “It worked out last week kind of taking a few less reps than I’d been taking. I’d been taking every single snap. It’s good for Billy this late in the year to get in there and get a little bit just in case.”

Linebacker Shawne Merriman seemed to have a pep in his step as he made his way from the trainer’s room to the locker room after Wednesday’s walk through.

“It feels good,” Merriman said as he passed.

The now three-time Pro Bowler was optimistic he’d be back on the field Thursday, but his head coach was a little more reserved.

“I doubt they’ll practice tomorrow,” Turner said in reference to Merriman and defensive end Luis Castillo. “I think by the end of the week we’ll be able to get some limited work and then we’ll see where they are.”

Support for Scifres

While the Chargers were more than pleased to have eight players named to the Pro Bowl, coaches and players said Wednesday that they believed they should have at least one more.

“The best punter in this league is by far Mike Scifres,” Turner said. “I’ve been with a lot of punters. He’s the most unselfish. He’s extremely talented. It’s a shame he’s not in the game.”

Scifres ranks third in the NFL with a net average of 39.7 yards per punt. He’s also landed 29 of his punts this season inside the 20, third-most in the NFL. Six times this season, opponents have had either zero or negative punt return yards against the Chargers – Chicago (0), Kansas City (0), Oakland (0), Indy (-5), Baltimore (0) and Detroit (0).

“If there was one guy that I would have to say got snubbed without a doubt, it would be Mike Scifres,” fullback Lorenzo Neal said. “It’s no disrespect to the guys who are voting, but I just think that people really need to watch the tape really hard and watch Mike Scifres, what he does in the punting game. This guy is a weapon. He keeps us in games. He has a wonderful leg. I know he’s a first alternate, but Mike Scifres should be going to the Pro Bowl.”

Turner also praised the play of cornerback Quentin Jammer when asked about players who he felt should have received more consideration for the Pro Bowl.
“I was disappointed that Quentin Jammer doesn’t receive the acknowledgement because he is one of the best corners in the league and in my mind he’s certainly deserving to be in the game,” Turner said. “I know they can’t take everybody.”

Nice as always

Tomlinson was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl of his career, an honor that holds the same magnitude to him year after year.

“It never gets old,” LT said. “I’m always appreciative of the fans, your peers, coaches voting you in, the media, everybody that votes you in. It never gets old because you enjoy going over there, being around the guys and participating. It’s obviously a game that’s for the fans. You never know when it’s going to be your last one. You always appreciate it.”

Working back

Neal, who suffered a fractured fibula two weeks ago in Tennessee, is working hard to get back on the field in time for the postseason and feels good about his chances of doing so.

“I’m optimistic,” Neal said. “I really think that I have a legitimate chance of playing the first or second week of the playoffs without a doubt. I feel that I’ll be back. We’re working hard. James Collins and the training staff are doing a phenomenal job of getting me ready. I feel that I’m making really good progress.”

On Tuesday, Neal took off his walking boot and spent some time on the treadmill.

“I’ve been able to walk for a couple days now,” Neal said. “Of course it’s going to be sore and you’re going to have to play through, but it’s football. I think everyone plays through injuries. You’re always going to have some aches and bruises. You’re still able to play. It’s a situation where you just deal with the pain.”

Neal’s backfield mate has been impressed with the way the 15-year vet has done in his first week of rehabbing the leg.

“He’s already doing a lot of things that a lot of people probably though he wouldn’t be doing at this time,” Tomlinson said. “He’s ahead of schedule. It’s going to be exciting to see him come back.”

The Broncos own a 25-30-1 (.456) all-time record in games played on Monday Night Football, including a 1-1 record this year. Denver is 20-9-1 (.683) in home MNF games and 5-21 (.192) in such games on the road.

Under Mike Shanahan (1995-Pres.), Denver is 13-11 (.542) when playing on Monday Night Football. The Broncos are 11-4 (.733) in home MNF games under Shanahan and are 2-7 (.222) on the road.

Our head coach seems like he has a good handle on this team, what needs to be done to prepare for the next game while giving rest to players who are banged up.

:yes:

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The subs have stepped up the way every teams hopes they will. We should be able to rest the wounded and still clean Denver's clock. Punking the Donks and the Raiduhs to end the season would be so sweet.